Mary Kiraly of Maryland Against Gun Violence says the bill will make Marylanders safer. Download This File

These women were among those who came to Annapolis to support Governor O'Malley's bill. (Photo by WBAL's Robert Lang)

Yvonne Jacobs of Annapolis attended the rally in favor of the governor's bill. Download This File

Hundreds of people were already in line outside the Lowe House Office building Friday morning to sign up to testify. (Photo by WBAL's Robert Lang)

Hundreds waited outside the Lowe House Office Building to sign up to testify. Bob Curland of Westminster was one of them and responded to be given one minute to testify. Download This File

Governor O'Malley listens to the testimony of Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson during today's hearing. (Photo by WBAL's Robert Lang)

Nathan owns a gun shop in Southern Maryland. He explains why he opposes the bill. Download This File

Witnesses wait to testify in the hearing room at around 1:30 this morning. (Facebook photo by Andi Morony of Delegate Michael Smigel's office)

Tony Barbosa of Westminster was the last witness to testify at around 3:40 this morning. You'll also hear the adjournment of the hearing. Download This File

This woman from Baltimroe County also testified at around 330 this morning. Download This File

Carroll County Republican Delegate Justin Ready sits on one of the committees that held the hearings Friday and Saturday. Download This File

Baltimore County Delegate Pat McDonough sits on one of the committees that held this hearing. he talks to Jimmy Mathis about the hearing. Download This File

In a hearing that many lawmakers say was the longest of their career, two committees of the Maryland House of Delegates continued to hold a hearing early Saturday on Governor Martin OÆMalleyÆs gun control bill.

The hearing of the House Judiciary and House Health and Government Operations Committees started just after noon on Friday. It ended at 3:45 this morning.

Baltimore City Delegate Peter Hammen told his colleagues that more than 1,300 people signed up to testify. All but 34 of the people who signed up opposed the bill. Hammen told lawmakers that he felt the final number of witnesses to testify would only be around 500, as many people who signed up to testify left Annapolis as the hearing continued into the night.

Many of the witnesses told lawmakers the bill would infringe on their Second Amendment rights, and would do nothing to keep them safe.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle took to social media to praise the witnesses who stayed and waited to testify.

Delegate Sam Arora, a Montgomery County Democrat called the witnesses ôpatient, dedicated citizens.ö

ôThis hearing represents the best traditions of a free and democratic society.ö

On his Facebook page, Eastern Shore Republican Delegate Mike McDermott said, öLet the record show that when we called upon our citizens to tell us what they thought of his bill, 1342 signed up and spoke against, while 34 signed up and spoke in favor. This should say it all...and many, many of the folks who showed up to voice their opinion stated they were Democrats from all over the state.ö

Most of the 45 delegates on the two committees remained in the hearing room Saturday morning, listening to the testimony.

Tony Barbosa was the last witness to testify. He appeared before the committees at around 3:40 a.m.

"I can make this very easy for you. This bill, which I'm opposed to, violated the Constitution of the United States, so there's your out," Barbosa told the committee.

Some lawmakers who sat in the hearings, and oppose the bill aren't sure the testimony will prevent the bill from passing.

"Well I hope it does. I do think that it changes some minds on the provisions of the bill. Let's say it opened some minds," Carroll County Republican Justin Ready told WBAL News.

Baltimore and Harford County Republican Pat McDonough believes the measure would be found unconstitutional in the courts.

The committees are expected to debate this bill and vote on it sometime next week.

The Senate approved the bill on Thursday.

The bill includes a ban on assault style weapons, and requires hand gun owners obtain licenses and submit fingerprints to the Maryland State Police in order to buy a handgun.

Maryland Department of General Services Police say more than 2,500 people came to Annapolis for the hearing and a series of rallies on Friday.

On Friday, Governor Martin O'Malley addressed a rally of supporters of the bill.

"As Marylanders, we have a legacy and a responsibility, and that legacy and that responsibility is to lead, to transform the loss of the person standing at the grave of a child, and to transform that loss and that pain into action, into something that saves lives," O'Malley told a crowd gathered on Lawyer's Mall.

The governor also testified in favor of his bill.

Many attending the rally for the governor's bill believed the massacre in December at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut shifted opinions about gun control.

"I think it was our youngest and almost vulnerable people in this society, and everybody realized we can't have this going on all of the time," Richard Karpit of Bethesda told WBAL News.

Many in the crowd chanted and held signs.

One block away, what appeared to be a much larger group of gun control opponents stood in line outside the House office building to sign up to testify.

Many in that line believed the bill would not make communities safer, and it would limit the rights of law abiding gun owners

The bill requires a license and fingerprints of handgun buyers. It also bans assault style weapons.

One gun shop owner who was waiting in line to testify told WBAL News that the O'Malley legislation has been good for his business.

"O'Malley, Governor O'Malley has been the greatest thing for the gun industry. They have absolutely run out of guns. They have run out of ammunition. I can't buy guns, that I would love to buy," said Nathan, who would not give his last name, who owns a gun store in Brandywine.

The hearing room where the committees are meeting only holds 200 people. Those who signed up to testify were issued numbers, and are waiting in the Lowe House Office Building next door watching the hearing on closed circuit television.

Police escorted groups of people over to the hearing room, when it is their turn to testify.

Witnesses who are considered "non-expert" are being told they only have one minute to testify.

Beretta Wooed By Other States Due To Gun Bill

As a broad gun-control measure aims to ban assault weapons in Maryland, neighboring states are trying to woo away a Beretta factory, whose employees would be unable to buy some of the guns it produces.

Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller noted Friday that senators changed the bill to enable Beretta to continue manufacturing and selling firearms. But he says the company still isn't happy with the bill.

On Thursday, West Virginia House Speaker Rick Thompson said he had written to Beretta to offer his state as a location because it's "where the people understand and care about your industry."

Earlier in the week, Virginia Republican lieutenant governor candidate and investment company executive Pete Snyder wrote to the company touting Virginia's favorable tax and gun climate.